Provide a brief explanation based on how the heart functions. Overtime when the fatty residues start building up on the arterial wall or this is called hardening of the arteries, this leaves little movement for the blood to flow through the arteries and to the heart. This blood is important because it contains oxygen and nutrients that are to go to the body’s tissues. If atherosclerosis begins in a coronary artery, blood is unable to flow correctly or not at all to the heart. This can cause the heart to stop pumping which then a person will endure a heart attack.
If a blood clot in a narrowed artery blocks the flow of blood to the part of the heart muscle, a heart attack occurs. The section of heart muscle that does not receive the blood begins to die. This condition is called myocardial infarction, or M.I. As a result of M.I., heart action can be seriously impaired. A heart attack may be a sudden episode.
Gerontology Disease Process Paper 09/10/2012 CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE Etiology Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the hearts inability to pump sufficient oxygen rich blood to the body’s tissues. CHF can be acute or chronic, left sided, right sided or both. There are several causes, diseases such as MI, hypertension, CAD or kidney failure valve disorders, inflammatory conditions, water intoxication and side effects from medications such as corticosteroids. CHF is more common among the elderly community, also is the leading cause of hospitalization and re-hospitalization among the elderly. Over three million individuals have been diagnosed with CHF.
Heart Bypass Surgery If you have blockage in one or more of your coronary arteries, your doctor may want to perform a heart bypass surgery. Coronary arteries are arteries that carry oxygen and nutrients in your blood. When your arteries become blocked your heart is not getting the blood supply that it needs. This is called ischemic heart disease and can often cause chest pain also known as Angina. Sometimes, heart bypass surgery is not the first treatment for ischemic heart disease.
DEFINITION/ETIOLOGY: The most common cause of heart failure is coronary artery disease (CAD), which is a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Hear failure can also occur when an infection weakens the heart muscles, this disorder is called cardiomyopathy. Other heart problems that may cause heart failure include: Congenital heart disease, Heart attack, heart valve disease, and some types of abnormal heart rhythms. Diseases such as emphysema, severe anemia, hyperthyroidism, or hypothyroidism may also cause or contribute to heart failure Systolic heart failure means that your heart muscle cannot pump, or eject the blood out of the heart very well. Diastolic heart failure means that your hearts pumping chamber does not fill up with blood.
Rapid and irregular heart rates may be perceived as palpitations, exercise intolerance, and occasionally produce angina (if the rate is faster and puts the heart under strain) and congestive symptoms of shortness of breath or edema. Sometimes the arrhythmia will be identified only with the onset of a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA). It is not uncommon for a patient to first become aware of AF from a routine physical examination or ECG, as it may be asymptomatic in many cases. [1] As most cases of atrial fibrillation are secondary to other medical problems, the presence of chest pain or angina, symptoms of hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland) such as weight loss and diarrhea, and symptoms suggestive of lung disease would indicate an underlying cause. A history of stroke or TIA, as well as hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, heart failure and rheumatic fever, may indicate whether someone with AF is at a higher risk of
A stroke occurs when there is an impeded supply of oxygen rich blood to the brain; thus, in order for our brain cells to function correctly, this supply must be constant. If our brain cells become deprived for more than a few minutes, they die. Our brains account for 25% of the body’s oxygen supply but unfortunately the brain does not store that oxygen. If this flow of oxygenated blood flow in interrupted just briefly the results can be devastating and sometimes lifelong. A stroke is usually classified as being either ischemic or hemorrhagic depending on whether there is a blood clot or internal bleeding in the brain.
There is one that you have no control over and that is family history or what is already in your dna. SLIDE SIX Atherosclerosis can affect any artery within the body so I am going to cover them in section and explain what the symptoms of each are. The first one I am going to discuss is the coronary arteries which are the ones pertaining to the heart. You may not have any symptoms until it progresses to a severe problem. The symptoms of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries are shortness of breath, chest pain, increased heart rate, sleep problems, fatigue or tiredness, and lack of energy.
The causes of Ischemic heart disease are unknown and there are no early symptoms. The later stage symptoms are Angina Pectoris, which is a chest pain or discomfort. Another common type of heart disease is Coronary heart disease which develops when a combination of fatty materials, calcium and scar tissue builds up in the arteries that supply the heart with blood. The causes of these diseases are any problems with the coronary arteries that keep heart from getting oxygen. Other causes may heredity high cholesterol, tobacco abuse, obesity and high blood pressure.
There are medicines out there to help with the issue they include, but not limited to aspirin which reduces strokes in women, and heart attacks in men. Statins also help by lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL). Another thing that can help is beta blockers. Beta blockers are used after a heart attack has already taken place and its function is to blood pressure and to control angina. Although cardiovascular disease is not always avoidable, there are ways in which one can help to prevent it.